National Monument Designation Attacked

An Act Regarding Consent to Land Transfers to the Federal Government (2016)

The governor introduced a bill withdrawing state consent for the federal government to designate a national monument. A national monument is a place protected for its natural, scientific, or cultural significance under authority granted by the federal Antiquities Act. The bill was an attack on a potential monument designation in the Katahdin region. Despite significant constitutional issues raised by Maine’s Attorney General, the bill passed by three votes in the House and by one vote in the Senate. The legislation cannot legally prevent the creation of a national monument.